Meg Okura, Jean-Michel Pilc, Sam Newsome - NPO Trio Live At The Stone (2018)

The album NPO Trio—Live at the Stone (2016) features an hour-long set of fully improvised music recorded in New York by violinist Meg Okura, pianist Jean-Michel Pilc, and soprano saxophonist Sam Newsome. The musicians display exceptional cohesion derived from their extensive history of collaboration. The centerpiece of the recording is a 38-minute suite based on the Yiddish folk song "Oyfn Pripetchik," a continuous work that demands sustained attention. This piece highlights the unique attributes of each member: Okura blends lyricism with technical precision, Newsome utilizes extended techniques such as multiphonics and circular breathing, and Pilc exhibits a vast dynamic range. The album also includes an improvisation referenced by John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" and concludes with "Yiddish Mama No Tsuki," a track fusing Jewish and Japanese folk traditions with tango rhythms, underscoring the group's inventive and expansive musical approach.



Tracklist:
1-1 Meg Okura, Jean-Michel Pilc, Sam Newsome - A Four Forty [5:58]
1-2 Meg Okura, Jean-Michel Pilc, Sam Newsome - Bells, Whistles and Sirens [5:01]
1-3 Meg Okura, Jean-Michel Pilc, Sam Newsome - Oyfn Pripetchik-ish [7:16]
1-4 Meg Okura, Jean-Michel Pilc, Sam Newsome - Travels [6:26]
1-5 Meg Okura, Jean-Michel Pilc, Sam Newsome - Exodus and Emancipation [8:48]
1-6 Meg Okura, Jean-Michel Pilc, Sam Newsome - Pleading [5:38]
1-7 Meg Okura, Jean-Michel Pilc, Sam Newsome - Unkind Gestures [6:54]
1-8 Meg Okura, Jean-Michel Pilc, Sam Newsome - Yiddish Mama No Tsuki [18:54]